4 Chapter Four Red Eyes

He must have fallen back asleep because the next time he woke up it was light out. Was what he saw last night just his dreams or something else? Xander wasn't sure if he wanted to know the answer to that. Shaking it off he checked in on the snake. It's eyes were actually closed this time. He had to move close to double check that it was still breathing. Releasing the breath he didn't realize he had been holding he went to go get a sheet and place over it. Today was his mother's day off and he didn't want to chance it that she might find it and do something to it. She might not understand why he did what he did.

Leaving his room he showered and headed out for the day. After grabbing breakfast he waved to his mother, "Bye mom going over to Rush's house!"

"Okay honey, just don't stay out too late, and if your plans change please call and let us know."

"Okay!" he headed out and went to grab his bike. He froze as he looked up at his window. What... was that? His curtain moved as if it had been pulled open. He could have sworn he saw a feminine face staring back at him before it hid back behind the curtain. What the hell was wrong with him?

Drawing a deep breath he released it. "You're not going crazy. It was nothing. You didn't see anything. Nothing was there…" He started to ride his bike away but he didn't get but a mere few blocks before he spotted the new girl. What was she doing out this way? Not to mention that she had been headed towards him but as soon as she spotted him she turned around and moved away from him. Was this girl stalking him? Xander wasn't entirely sure how he felt about that. A stalker girl that seemed to have a grudge against him.

Xander decided to stop her and find out what she wanted. "What are you doing on this side of town? Are you lost?"

He didn't mean for it to come out cruel sounding but he was pretty sure that's what it sounded like when she turned to glare at him. "Who says I'm lost?"

"Well, the fact that you did an about face as soon as you saw me." Her midnight long black hair was brushed back over her shoulder as she continued to throw hate glares at him. How can this blue eyed beauty hate him without really even knowing him. He was kind of hurt by this fact. He never felt such hatred from one person that he never met and had no reasons he knew of to give them this feeling.

She made a low sound that vaguely reminded him of a growl. It was then that he had been sitting there on his bike staring at her. Was he that far into his thoughts that he didn't hear her talking? Had she been talking? "Uh, what?"

She gave a heavy sign. "Forget it weirdo…" The girl took off then with quite the speed.

"Whoa… she'd make a great addition to the track team…" Wait, what? Did he really just say that out loud? Shaking his head he tried to banish such thoughts. He didn't need his stalker on the same team as him. Staring off in the direction she ran off to he sighed before he headed to Rush's house.

Once he got there Rush was walking out of his house. "About time you showed up- What's wrong?"

Glancing up he stared at his friend. "You wouldn't believe me if I told you."

"Aw, come on man. Don't leave me hanging!"

Rush put him in a headlock which, with him still sitting on his bike was quite awkward. "Okay, okay!" Xander pushed Rush until he was released. "I'll tell you. Geez…" He rubbed at his neck before getting off his bike. "I saw the new girl near my house."

"What?" Rush looked at him like he was pulling his leg. "You're joking? She lives nearby?"

"I'm pretty sure she doesn't. I saw her head in the opposite direction the other day when she left." Though he couldn't be one hundred percent sure. Had he just made another mistake? "Ugh…" He really wasn't any good with girls. It was a no wonder he was still single.

Rush broke out laughing slapping him on the back. "Well, well, well. Look who's the lady man now!" He laughed more at Xanders shocked and confused expression. "Come on. Let's go. There's this new game that I was talking about last month that finally came in the mail that I want us to play. I've been itching to play it but I've been waiting for you to get your scrawny butt over here."

Xander shook his head. "The shooting adventure game, right?"

"Yeah, yeah!"

Like two excited middle schools the boy's headed into the house to play the game. Of course he greeted his friends' parents when they came to check in on them and bring snacks. Xander didn't miss a beat when Rush's little sister kept peaking in on them. After hours went by Xander leaned over to Rush. "Did your sister have plans with you today? Or maybe she wants to play a game too?"

"Hmm?" Rush hummed glancing over to the doorway where said sister ducked back behind the frame. "I don't know what's her problem. She has plans with friends, or so she said… just ignore her or you'll end up dying!" He yelled the last part as he smashed some buttons. "Ah… that was a close one. Dude, pay attention to your six. Next time I'll let him kill you."

"Right. Sorry." Xander said seriously, but still he couldn't shake the feeling that Rush's little sister wanted to talk to them.

"Okay boy's. I think you've played that enough for one day. Are you staying for dinner, Xander?" Hitting the pause button Rush and Xander turned to look at Rush's mother.

"Yeah, my mom doesn't expect me home for a few more hours."

"Okay, just make sure you head out before it gets dark. I don't want you out there in the dark. Too many accidents can happen."

Rush's mother could be just as much of a worry wart as his own mother. As promised though after having dinner Xander left Rush's house and headed home. On his way home he could have sworn he saw the new girl again. Okay he seriously needed to have a chat with that girl, and one where they weren't insulting each other. Though, it very well could have just been another girl with really long midnight hair. Parking his bike he glanced up to see a shadow up in his window. His mother must be up there cleaning in his room again.

"Ah mom…why don't you ever just leave my stuff alone for once?"

Climbing up the two steps that lead up onto his porch and up to his house he couldn't help but have that feeling that someone was watching him. He turned to look around him but there was no one visible. "Probably just the game getting to me. Heh…" Xander rubbed the back of his head as he opened the door and walked in. "I'm home!" He called out taking off his shoes.

"Ah, honey. I'm glad you made it back safely. You had something to eat, yes?"

Xander glanced up from untying his shoes to see his mother looking at him. "Yeah mom, don't worry. I ate right before coming home." He headed up to go take a shower and get ready for bed. It was a long hard day playing those games. As he entered his room he could tell his mother had been in there. His bed was actually made and things were moved around. Though the one thing that got to him was the tank. It too had been moved. Panic rose in him as he turned around to find his mother right behind him.

"You didn't let me finish talking." However, as she said that she just stood there staring at him with that look on her face. She knew, but she wasn't mad?

"I can explain…" Xander tried to say but could he really?

"I thought you said you were done with rodents? Not only that I found a fog in the tank as well. What were you thinking? And on top of that you didn't even have food or water for the poor thing." Her arms were crossed and disappointment was written all over her face.

"Uhhh…It was the food?" wait, she didn't say anything about a snake.

"What?" Confusion clouded her eyes as she raised a brow at him.

Before he said anything more he moved to look into the tank but the snake wasn't there. What happened to it? Did it escape? His eyes moved to sweep the floor of his room. Not good, not good. "Ah, by chance was the lid off the tank?"

Now he just confused her even more. "No? What kind of question is that? Are you hiding something else, Xander? We talked about this."

"No! Of course not! I mean… I'm sorry mom. I'll find it another home tomorrow… or this week. I promise." His eyes continued to sweep the floor.

"Okay… What are you looking for? I didn't find your dirty magazines if that's what you're thinking."

"W-What?! Mom! Please!" His face flared up at the image of his mother finding something like that in his room. He was mortified. "Just-just go mom. Geez…"

"Sorry, sorry~!" She laughed as she left him to himself.

His mother didn't know when to quit some times. Sighing, he closed the door behind his mother and then began to crawl on the floor. "Ah, come out little buddy… Where are you?" It wasn't under his desk, bed, behind the dresser. Standing up the only other place he hadn't looked yet was his closet. As he moved closer to it something shifted inside. "HA!" He quickly opened the door excited that he was able to find the area where the snake had gone only to be face to face with a girl. "Uuuuhhh…"

Okay talk about awkward situations. His eyes roamed over her features. He'd never seen a girl quite like her. Her hair was almost snow-white with a hint of pale blue when the light of his room hit it just right, her sink was pale with those deep red eyes that seemed to stare into your soul if you looked at them for too long. Her hair flowed way past her shoulders, probably about waist length but it was hidden behind her. "Hey, isn't that my shirt?" He was thrown off by the fact she was wearing his shirt. Wait… if she was wearing his shirt did that mean she was naked?! His eyes flickered downward not because he was a pervert but something moved down by his feet and what he saw just topped the cake. Scales and a body like a snake. "Whaa-haahaahaaat?" He was back peddling so fast that he stumbled and fell backwards on his butt.

"Shhhh!" The girl hushed him though it just sounded like she was hissing at him. "Hiding in here is going to be for nothing if you keep acting like a bumbling idiot…" Her arms crossed over her chest that only brought more attention to them from his position.

He was going to die...yup. That's all there is to it. Maybe he was dreaming this all up. Yeah, he was actually still at Rush's place. They were watching a movie and fell asleep during it. That's got to be it. Half snake half girl that was wearing his shirt and nothing else, hiding in his closet.